CQUniversity Mackay and Sarina Community Bendigo Bank Branch have formally signed a Partnership Agreement.

This agreement will encourage and enable improved collaboration opportunities between the University and the bank branch across a variety of areas, including knowledge and skills transfer between the partnering entities, fostering of research, learning and teaching opportunities and staff development initiatives.

Dr Pierre Viljoen (right) with the bank's branch manager Roanna Brady and chairman Ralph Johnson

The agreement will benefit both CQUniversity Mackay students and the broader community.

Dr Pierre Viljoen, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Community Engagement and Head of Mackay Campus, commented "We are very pleased at the establishment of this formal partnership and see it as one more step along our journey of becoming the ‘Most Engaged', and a truly ‘Great' Australian University".

An initial development from the Partnering Agreement is the newly established 'Sarina Community Bank Scholarship' which is a fantastic incentive to students. The scholarship is for second-year full-time students enrolled for bachelor degrees in Accounting, Business (Management), Business (Marketing) or Information Technology.  The scholarship will support the student for the duration of their program and is valued at $2000 per year.

Ralph Johnson, Chairman of the Sarina Community Bank's Board of Directors, said "We are excited to be entering an agreement with CQUniversity. Our mission is to engage with and support our local community through promoting community prosperity".

"We see the establishment of a scholarship as one of a number of ways of working together," Mr Johnson said.

"Students and staff will be offered the opportunity to observe or even be involved in the governance, management, marketing and community engagement activities of one of only a handful of successful, publicly-listed companies which have their registered business office in the  district. They will be able to be hands-on and actually help to make a difference to our district."  

Sarina Community Bank Branch has been supporting and engaging with the local community since it opened in June 2005.

Mr Johnson said "Thanks to the mighty support of our customers, we were able to provide sponsorship of $35,000 to five organisations and nearly $50,000 to a further fourteen not-for-profit organisations in the 2010 calendar year as well as a healthy dividend for shareholders. Our capacity to help our community is directly related to the support we get from the community. Every new account or transaction helps our community."